Broken Whispers
by thephaw
Summary: Having his village cruelly ripped from him and thrust into a world where technology rules, Naruto is just about to give up all hope. That is until a man discovers Naruto's potential and trains him as the soldier he was destined to become.
1. Stars in a Bright Sky

**A/N: **An FMP! and Naruto crossover. Even I wonder what I'm smoking sometimes. I swear it could work though. It's going to take a while to get into the meat of the story though.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything. Please don't sue me.

**Pairings: **NarutoxTessa, SousukexChidori -- But keep in mind that there probably won't be any romance for a while.

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**. : Stars in a Bright Sky : .**

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It was a hot day in Konohagakure. The sun shone relentlessly in the clear sky above, pushing down its life-giving heat upon the ungrateful denizens of the Earth.

Ninja trainee, Naruto Uzumaki, dressed in his usual black t-shirt and orange shorts, was on his way to Ichiraku Ramen. He didn't splurge on his favorite food often, but today happened to be a very special day. Today was October 10th – his eight birthday. It was too bad nobody else really cared, though. Naruto had no parents, nor close friends to celebrate with. He was told his parents died in the battle against the Kyuubi the day he was born. And there seemed to be a big stigma about it because for some reason people avoided him. Which explained why he had no real friends either.

So far, the only other person to even acknowledge the birthday was the Sandaime. But being the Hokage, the old man was too busy to do anything other than offer a quick congratulations and some gift money.

Still, Naruto refused to feel glum on such a joyous occasion. It only happened once a year, after all. So he marched down the crowded streets with other thoughts, like which ramen he was going to order.

It wasn't long before Naruto reached his destination, and he scanned over the popular ramen bar's patrons as he approached. Surprisingly, there were only two other people. One was just a random customer. He was large, dark-haired, and gaunt-faced, leisurely enjoying his bowl of ramen without a care in the world. The other customer managed to lighten Naruto's mood even more. It was Iruka, one of the teachers at the Ninja Academy and he looked as welcoming as ever as he idly chatted up Ayame, Naruto's favorite bar's attendant and the closest thing he had to a friend.

Naruto waved to the young bar attendant when he caught her eye and she responded brightly, catching Naruto completely off-guard.

"Happy Birthday, Naruto!" she proclaimed.

"Congratulations, Naruto," added a grinning Iruka as he turned around and waved. "How old are you now? Eight? Nine?"

"Eight!," answered Naruto proudly. "But how did you know it was my birthday? I don't remember telling anyone except old man Sarutobi."

Ayame giggled. "Looks like you forgot the time you told us all about yourself for a free bowl of ramen. I don't blame you, Naruto. I think Daddy slipped some sake to you that time."

"You're still going on about that?" complained another voice from behind the counter. It was Old Man Ichiraku himself. "That was an accident. You forgave me right, birthday boy?"

"Eh…? When was that?"

"It doesn't matter," said Ayame, motioning for Naruto to take a seat. "Today, you can order whatever you want. It's on us, right Daddy?"

"Yeah yeah, just take it easy. We're still a business you know."

Naruto, completely touched, began tearing up. "You guys…" he sniffed.

"Oy, Naruto, you don't have to cry," said Iruka lightheartedly.

"Yea, it's bad for business," agreed Icharaku.

Moments passed and soon enough, everyone was enjoying themselves in Naruto's company, laughing and joking. Naruto felt as if this simple gettogether could be the best moment of his life thus far. In face, he still felt as though it all might have been a dream. And if it were, he didn't want to wake up. For once, he was just a normal kid at his birthday party.

"So then I stuck a kunai up his butt," laughed an obviously drunk Iruka.

Ayame's face turned red at the vulgar story and shook her head in shame before admonishing him: "Don't teach Naruto strange things."

Fortunately, Naruto too, was drunk and didn't really pay attention to the story. He did however take note of an unfamiliar noise in the distance. "Hey, can you hear that?" asked Naruto to everyone else. The sound in question was rather loud, increasing in volume every second as it roared overhead.

"Hmm," replied Ayame, an annoyed expression on her face. "I bet it's those—"

A low thunderous roar interrupted her, slightly muffled by its distance but incredibly loud nonetheless. Everyone at the ramen bar covered their heads on instinct as soon as it was heard.

"What… was that?" shouted Naruto. At this point, distant screams and cries had become audible.

"Stay here," instructed Iruka. He was already in ninja-mode. "I'll go take a look."

Everyone nodded but Iruka barely even took a step. He simply turned—faced the direction of the explosion—and widened his eyes in horror. Everyone else did the same, turning towards where Iruka was looking. And they all saw it. The Hokage monument was there no more… in fact, the mountain had completely crumbled away. The buildings underneath were either crushed by fallen rocky debris or engulfed in unnatural flames.

Naruto was speechless. _What… happened?_

"Damn, found me already?" said a voice nearby. Naruto and the others turned to face whoever-it-was. The voice was from a man; the dark-haired customer from before. He wore a smile that almost told a story. Told them that he knew what was going on and also that he didn't particularily care. "I'd run if I were you," he warned before erupting into a full sprint towards the south.

"What!? Run!? What's happening? Who are you?" shot off Iruka in quick succession.

The man, still running, didn't bother to answer. Instead, he pointed up towards the sky. There, hurtling towards Konoha, were what looked like five stars shining brightly next to the sun.

"Naruto… run."

"Run!? But…"

"Ayame, Ichiraku, please take Naruto and follow that man out of the village," screamed Iruka.

"Wait, what about you?" stammered Ayame.

"I have to warn the Hokage."

"But what about…"

"—Just Go!"

And just like that, Naruto grabbed onto Ayame's hand and ran with Icharaku leading them. A new journey had begun.

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**A/N: **Konoha gets blown up. Sorry, I couldn't think of another way to start the story. This means Konoha was actually a hidden village withing the world. Anyways, a stranger is going to take Naruto in. Guess who it is.


	2. Stranger

**A/N:** If anyone is actually reading this story, I'm going to let you now that Gauron might be a little different from his usual self. Of course, I'll try to keep him in character but he'll be going through significant development in the story.

In the anime he had no back story, no vision, and no main goal. If you remember him at all, he was the ultimate lame villain; all hubris and no substance. His reason for living, in-a-nutshell, was to commit suicide and take out as much of the world with him as he could. This might have been interesting if he had a reason for it. But he didn't… such a let down. So yea, in this story I'm going to try to flesh him out a little. Give him reasons for the things he does.

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**. : Stranger : .**

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It hurt. Everything did.

Naruto's hand was turning blue, wrist gripped tightly by Ayame who half-dragged him along as they ran desperately across streets littered with broken and burning rubble. His lungs ached as he struggled to take in enough oxygen to keep up with the painful pounding of his heart. His short legs often tripped trying to keep up with a much longer-legged Ayame.

Despite this, Naruto made every effort to keep the pain from distracting him as he toiled onwards.

Left behind them was a deceased Teuchi Ichiraku. Without warning he was struck through his neck by shattering debris when the bright stars had landed within the village. More surprising than his death, however, was Ayame's reaction. She didn't scream or cry out… she merely blinked her tears behind her and ran onwards at an astonishing pace. This pace was set by the man they were struggling to follow; a rough-looking stranger who had introduced himself as Gauron just a few moments before.

_What's happening?_

Fear and uncertainty, more than anything else, dominated Naruto's thoughts right now. Konoha's apparent destruction and Teuchi's death were bad enough, but this Gauron man just made everything worse.

Gauron himself did little to explain the situation. In fact, the stranger pretty much ignored them. If Naruto were to describe the man, he'd say that Gauron was a person who wasn't the least bit afraid of death, but at the same time… it was like he valued his own life above all else. Almost like living contradiction. And it made him scary.

"Ara? You two are still alive?" said Gauron sounding genuinely surprised. He looked back with a wide smile planted on his face. It was clear he was enjoying himself in this nightmare. "So even the bombardment wasn't enough to take you down, huh? Hahaha... just a waitress and a little boy… I wonder how long your luck will last?" Immediately after his comment, he laughed some more before throwing his back against nearby rubble and ducking in his head a little.

Ayame must have caught the cue because Naruto felt a tug that threatened to tear his arm from his shoulder as he was pulled towards her and shoved against the very same wall Gauron was braced up against. The noises all around them were so loud and foreign that Naruto's mind was helpless to do anything other than spin itself into confusion.

Above them something sounded louder still. It was pounding and beating in the sky like some impossibly loud heart. Immediately afterward came a bizarre high-pitched rattling sound.

Naruto caught a glimpse of whatever it was as it passed. It looked like some beast of steel as it swept overhead, raining pellets of death below.

"Tch, not even close," commented Gauron, still grinning. "These careless Soviets are boring, don't you think? Bring on the _real _action."

A disoriented Naruto cautiously looked up from his cover, revealing a shaken but still-alive Ayame who was glaring out at Gauron in contempt. She remained mute, however. Possibly because she was afraid and maybe disgusted with his behavior so far… but more than likely it was because Gauron was their only hope for survival at the moment. It would be best to stay on his good side; if could even call it that.

Gauron caught her glare and responded with a smile.

"Haha, you look good in that expression," he said to her. "Strong. But that boy…" Gauron threw a look at Naruto, like he was a piece of litter thrown on the streets. "He'll just get in the way. If I were you, I'd leave him here. Or end his misery now."

"What do you say? If you want, I'll be more than happy to do it for you," he added, pulling out something strange and pointing it's cylindrical end directly at Naruto's forehead.

Ayame threw her arms around Naruto, clutching him tightly, putting her body between him and Gauron. "Please! Don't!" was all she said.

"Hah…?" Gauron looked genuinely disappointed. "What happened to that look you had before? You two aren't siblings are you? Doesn't look like it."

She shook her head but said nothing else… she was shivering. Naruto was still speechless as well. His mind a blank slate. An amused looking Gauron looked about ready to shoot them both but before he could, more of the flying steel beasts flew overhead and began hovering a few feet off the ground a far distance away, dropping their insides upon the ground; men it looked like. Men dressed in unrecognizable uniforms and holding strange weapons Naruto had never seen before; much like the one Gauron was pointing at them.

"Tch, more Soviets," complained Gauron as he turned around and continued onwards to his destination. And his destination happened to be past those new soldiers. Naruto felt slightly relieved. They were just an after thought.

"C'mon Naruto, hang in there," Ayame encouraged, forcing him to his feet. "We have to keep going." With nothing else to rely on, they both continued after Gauron.


	3. Still Running

**A/N: **I changed this story to an 'M' rating since there will be excessive violence and language later on. The entire story will probably be all dark and serious-like at first. I hope nobody minds.

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**. : Still Running : . **

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To think… he had just turned eight and already his birthday seemed like a historic dream.

Gauron continued to set the pace up ahead, effortlessly taking cover whenever needed and grinning the entire time; leaping and striding as if it were some art form. Gauron made the run across the broken streets of the village look easy but it was far from it.

Staring intently at Gauron's back were Ayame and Naruto who followed as closely as they could. Cuts, scrapes and bruises stung on their bodies underneath the tears of their tattered clothing but they didn't matter much. Their priority now was to survive and this man who more-or-less ignored them was their only hope.

It wasn't until there was a sudden lull in the strange sounds all around them that Gauron finally stopped. The grizzled dark-haired man took cover behind the broken remains of a small building that was blasted apart. Carefully, he peeked out over top of it, probably searching for signs of the assaultors. Both Naruto and Ayame took the opportunity to catch up and regain their breathes.

When they finally reached Gauron's position, both clumsily collapsed beside him, coughing and wheezing as dust entered their already dry mouths and into their straining lungs. Naruto didn't even know that his heart could race this hard.

"We're almost there," said Gauron, answering one unvoiced question that quickly lead to others.

_Almost where? Who are you? Who are they? Why are we being attacked?_

The sounds of battle rung out once again, interrupting Naruto's thoughts. Screaming and yelling provided a backdrop to the sporadic gunfire. Guns… that was what Gauron called those weapons they were holding. He said they were quick and efficient and doing their job. And from what Naruto witnessed so far, he was right.

"Heads up," warned Gauron, shifting half-heartedly to the side. In the next instant, something flew and landed beside them… a bloody head, severed roughly at its chin. Ayame screamed in fear and Naruto wanted to throw up. He was glad he didn't recognize the face, though. There was, however, a Konoha hitai-ite wrapped around the pale forehead.

"Oh, I didn't expected this to happen. The village is actually putting up a fight?" added Gauron, adding his psychotic laugh as usual. "Interesting village, this Konoha. Stupid but interesting."

That was it. Enjoying a nightmarish war like this was one thing but insulting the village… Naruto couldn't keep quiet any longer. "Stupid!? They're fighting to protect us out there and you call them stupid? You're the stupid one—"

"—Naruto," said Ayame worriedly, trying to interrupt. But by then, the damage had already been done.

Okay, Naruto admitted that last part was just a reactive insult but still…

Gauron's grin turned into a hateful scowl and Naruto flinched while Ayame hugged the young blonde in a protective embrace once again. "Brat, you have no id—damnit, move!"

Gauron shoved the two kids out of the way and began sprinting again. A startled Ayame reactively grabbed Naruto's hands and followed just as several bullets made their mark on the wall they were just up against. Naruto was practically being dragged as they ran and he could hear the bullets following them, hitting the ground behind them as they moved low and fast amongst the rubble.

And seemingly crazy as he was, Gauron just laughed, firing a few shots back with his own gun before continuing his little retort from before as they ran. "You kids are sure resilient... I like your guts. Tell you what, I'm short staffed at the moment. Why don't you two come work for me? Of course, first, you'll have to prove to me you can be useful. And who knows, if you work for me, I might show you something interesting."

_Show us something interesting? Like what?_ The questions came up but Naruto couldn't waste a single breath speaking them out. Not if he wanted to keep up.

"For example, I can tell you about the the people behind this attack… their reasons for it. What would you do with this information? Who knows. Maybe if you get more information, you can do something about it. Or maybe not. Life's a gamble, don't you think? Risk and reward."

Gauron made it to his next piece of cover and pressed his back against it. Ayame and Naruto did the same. Then he turned to face them, another of his ridiculous wide grins planted on his face. "So, what do think of my generous offer? Of course, if you refuse, I may just end up killing you both right here and now. I don't have the patience for another set of kids if they aren't useful."

_Another set? _

It was Ayame who responded, defeated. "What… what do we have to do... to prove ourselves?"

"It's simple," said Gauron. "Kill. Go out there, kill a soldier and bring me their head to me to prove it."

Both Naruto and Ayame were speechless, their mouths and eyes gaping open in shock and disgust.

_Kill… someone?_

"Here, I'll even supply you with the tools," added Gauron, tossing two guns and two knives at the two Konoha-nin's feet. "Guns are easy to use, just point and shoot. Then you can cut off their heads with the knife. It's one of my easier tests, really."

Ayame was shaking. "Y-you… monster…"

Gauron only grinned some more.

In a single clumsy movement, Ayame scooped up a gun and pointed it Gauron's face. Naruto, frozen, didn't know what to do.

The man simply laughed and took a step towards her.

"S-stop… don't move or I'll... I'll kill you," warned Ayame. And just as she said that, Gauron swept in, grabbing the gun by the barrel and jamming the end of it directly into his forehead. Ayame's trembling hands were still gripping the handle but it was like she was frozen as well.

"Kill me?" he said, smirking. "Can you really do it?"

And the next thing Naruto heard from either of them was an extremely loud bang.


	4. Whispers

**A/N: **I admit the premise of the story so far is a little ridiculous. If you can come up with a better story, please write it. I'd love to read a good FMP/Naruto crossover rather than write one, haha.

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**. : Whispers : .**

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The force of the impact knocked Gauron's head back hard and his body lifelessly fell to the ground afterwards with a thud. Blood trickled from the small red hole in his forehead as he lay there. His eyes were ecstatically wide open, completing a creepy look of smug satisfaction.

For a moment, nothing was said as the two Konoha-nins tried to absorb what had just happened.

"I really did it… I-I killed him…" said Ayame suddenly. Naruto wasn't sure if it was a question or a statement but he could tell from her widened eyes and quivering frame that she was utterly shocked. "Naruto... what should I do?" she asked absentmindedly. It's funny how a single action can change a person. Just moments before, she was the strong and determined older sister who had saved him; protected him from Gauron and this… this… war. And now, she was just like any other young teen, afraid and confused at the atrocities happening around them. She slumped down next to Gauron's dead body, robbed of expression.

Unfortunately, Naruto felt much the same as she did and it was at this moment that anxiety decided to strike him. Everything assaulted his senses at once: the pain across his body, the frightening sounds of explosions and gunfire in the distance, the bitterness of the dust in the air, the foul smell of blood, and the sight of death in front of him. The uncertainty of the events surrounding them and the fear of dying certainly didn't help matters either.

Naruto fell to the ground, easing himself the only way he knew how; by letting it all go and yelling out his frustration at the top of his lungs. Loud was the understatement of the day when he screamed.

This must have snapped Ayame out of her own delusion because now she had wrapped her arms around him once again. Back to her old self, she tried to comfort Naruto as he quietly sobbed on her shoulder. How utterly unmanly of him. But he couldn't help it.

"I'm sorry. It's okay Naruto," cooed Ayame. "Don't cry, okay? We'll make it out of this somehow."

Naruto, the kid that he was, couldn't help but sniffle as he let go a: "Promise?"

"Promise," she confirmed.

Satisfied, he wiped away the wet across his face and silently admonished himself. He was a boy, how dare he cry. _I need to be stronger. I'm already eight!_

"_You're not eight,"_ he heard Ayame whisper.

"Huh!?" Naruto looked up, startled. "What do you mean Ayame?"

"I said I promise we'll make it out alive."

Naruto shook his head. "No, after that. You said that I'm not eight."

"I did?" Ayame looked just as confused as Naruto was.

He nodded. "I heard it. Just when I thought about my birthday you—"

"_December 24,"_ whispered another voice into his ear. And clearly, it didn't come from Ayame. She wasn't close enough to whisper to him. Naruto looked around for a source but couldn't find anybody else.

"Naruto? Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"I thought I heard—Aggh!" Naruto's head suddenly began throbbing painfully and he clutched it with his hands, trying in vain to make it stop.

But the messages kept coming. They were like voices quietly screaming things into his head. No, more like memories that felt like whispers assaulting him from all directions.

"Make… make it stop," struggled Naruto.

"Make what stop!?" Naruto began searching around himself even more frantically but this time Ayame grabbed hold. "Naruto, calm down. You have to tell me what's wrong or I can't help."

The whispers continued to flood him. Complex mathematical formulae, engineering schematics, advanced scientific theorems, detailed explanations behind the physical and chemical workings of certain technologies he had never even heard about before... And strangely, Naruto understood all of it. Once he heard the whisper, it was ingrained in his memory like he had learned it long ago. They were 'memories' of technology. And one type of technology stood out from the rest. Black Technology.

Understanding the whispers didn't make the headache any better, however.

They kept coming and coming until finally the pain ended with a simple name for a single system that encompassed them all. The Chakra Driver.

In essence, it was a piece of Black Technology that would be able to manifest the life and spiritual energy of a person to devastating effect. Not unlike what ninja are capable of now. The difference, however, was that the Chakra Driver would work on a much, much larger scale.

"N-Naruto…?" asked Ayame again when she noticed Naruto suddenly relaxing.

"Chakra Driver," he replied blankly.

Naruto looked up at Ayame with questions in his eyes and she stared back much the same way.

_What was this Chakra Driver for? How did he even know about it? What's the significance of December 24__th__?_ The information was all just too much.

The loudest explosion either of them had ever heard thus far, sounded out in the distance forcing Naruto and Ayame back to attention.

"If you're okay, Naruto, we have to move." said Ayame. "Or they might find us."

Naruto nodded in agreement but offered nothing else. "Where do we go? What should we do?"

Ayame considered this for a bit. "First, let's just get out of here. I think that Gauron person was heading to the South exit of the village for a reason and we're almost there. We can think about 'what to do after' when we get there, okay?"

"Okay," nodded Naruto understandingly. He struggled back to his feet and off they went.

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**A/N: **I'm not sure exactly how the whispered work. Hopefully I got it at least kind of right.

If anyone is wondering where I'm going with this story, here's what I'm planning so far:

First Arc: Focuses on Naruto, Ayame, Gauron, and his other two apprentices.

Timeskip

Second Arc: Teenage Naruto enters Jindai High School. Focus on Naruto, Sousuke, Chidori, Tessa, and Ayame.

Third Arc: Enter that crazy Gates guy, Leonard and Amalgam. Won't know where this arc will go until I'm well into the second arc.

Fourth Arc: Largely hypothetical at this point. But I have read a lot of the FMP novels and I do have a certain ending in mind.


	5. Like a Cockroach

**A/N: **Sorry about the short chapters and iffy dialogue. I'm working on it. Hopefully it'll get better as I go.

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**. : Like a Cockroach : .**

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Gauron awoke. His eyes shot open only to meet even more darkness.

He didn't know what had happened to knock him unconscious in the first place. But he did remember that he was shot… in the head. Okay, so maybe he _did_ know exactly what happened. In any case, he was alive and well, thanks to the titanium plate in his head. Unfortunately, his neck still hurt like hell from the force of the impact of the bullet. And there was still this issue of being unable to see anything aside from his thoughts.

The image of the girl who shot him popped into his mind's eye. The plain restaurant girl… Ayame was her name from what he recalled from overhearing the conversations at the ramen bar.

_Boring and plain,_ Gauron mused. In reality, Gauron knew the thought was only a half-truth. Sure, at first glance she was just an average girl. But he clearly remembered the look she threw him right before she shot him. Even battle hardened men would show tiny hints of worry or regret for killing another but this girl's expression was one filled with nothing but revulsion and hatred.

Oh, and somehow this made her oddly sexy. He silently laughed at the thought.

There was potential in that Ayame girl. He could train her to become an even greater asset than the two Chinese twins Yu Fan and Yu Lan he was already apprenticing now. Gauron smiled.

It wasn't until he felt his body drop to the ground that he realized he had been carried in the first place, in a body bag no less. Survival instincts kicked in and Gauron allowed his body to remain completely flaccid.

Russian words spoken in harsh Russian tones could be heard. Russian also happened to be one of the nine languages Gauron was fluent in.

"Is this him?"

"Yes Sir. We found him already dead near the skirmish in the middle of the village."

"Already dead? The order was to bring him back alive! Who did this!?"

"We don't know, sir."

"Tch, worthless."

Gauron could feel tugs at the body bag near his face so he instinctively played dead. Just as he predicted, the zipper of the body bag could be heard unzipping.

"This is him alright," said the senior officer. "To think the great Gauron would die liked this. Shot cleanly through the head. What a way to go."

_Idiots,_ thought Gauron. If they bothered to check his pulse, they'd know he wasn't dead. Oh well, better for him he supposed. So Gauron remained still. There was a lengthy exchange of dialogue between the two Soviets before a final order was given.

"I'll take care of our deceased friend here. Tell the others to speed up the operation at the village."

"But Sir, the villagers are somehow holding their own at the battle at South Gate. Our losses are—"

"I want results, not excuses. I'll send four Rk-91 Savages for support. Will this be enough?"

"Er-I…Y-yes Sir."

"Now hurry it up. I want that hidden base found before sundown."

"Right away!"

_The base?_ Thought Gauron, alarmed. _They know about it?_ Gauron thought the Soviets were tracking him alone and in no way suspected they were even aware of the existence of his secret base. The base was well hidden beneath the village was the closest place to being his home; not to mention all the toys from Amalgam he kept there. The only people to know the location of the base was himself, his twin apprentices, and…

_Danzo!_ The realization hit him hard but he wasn't in the least surprised. He should have known the old coot would betray him. _He'll get whats coming to him._

Gauron shot his eyes open and found himself staring at the shocked Soviet officer who was kneeling over him. And before the officer could react, Gauron had already thrust his hand out the opening of the body bag he was in, fingers pushing deep into the eyes of the hapless officer. Then, with his other hand, grabbed the silenced gun hanging off the officer's waist and ended the poor guy's misery with a shot to his head before he could even scream.

The Soviet officer fell to the ground lifeless and Gauron pulled himself out of the black body bag. His eyes scanned around at the small and empty encampment. Luckily, not a single enemy soldier was in sight. They were all at the village which still burned and smoked in the distance.

There was no doubt in his mind that Danzo was leading the Soviets to the secret base at this very moment. If he wanted to get there before the base was discovered, he'd have to move fast. But how…?

It was then that light reflecting off a familiar steel humanoid surface caught his attention. An AS (Arm Slave) was sitting a few dozen meters away.

_How lucky._


	6. The Battle at South Gate

**A/N:** Hmm... sorry if the whole 'Konoha is under attack' arc seems like it's dragging on and on, but I think that's only because all my chapters so far are a little short. In fact, the whole story so far could probably be put into a single chapter. Gah, oh well.

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**. : Battle at the South Gate : .**

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They were everywhere. Bloodied, battered, some even burnt into charred crisps. Bodies, that is. Enemy soldiers, Konoha ninja, and innocent civilians… it seemed like nobody was spared. The corpses were so distinct that they were hard to ignore and Naruto found himself distracted by the fear and disgust he felt every time his eyes landed on one.

He could tell Ayame felt the same way. Whenever they came across a particularly gruesome scene, she would let go an involuntary yelp whilst trying to path around it with Naruto in tow.

Naruto gripped a gun in his hand, as did Ayame. They were the weapons Gauron had offered to them before he died. Though small, the gun felt heavy and awkward in his hand but it would at least provide some defense. Thankfully, a situation to use the guns had not shown itself. At least not yet.

"We're almost there," said Ayame reassuringly. She led the duo to a broken but still upright wall and both hid behind its cover. Naruto vaguely recognized the area as the southern extremity of the village. He often pulled his pranks here at the public square. Their position was directly across from the South Gates now so all they have to do is to cross the open plaza and through the broken gates. The only problem was that the fighting here also happened to be the most intense.

Naruto tucked his head in low as Ayame peeked out, checking for any possible safe routes. There were none. It was clear the entire plaza had become a sort of no man's land. To the left of them were the enemy soldiers and their guns. To the right were Konoha's defenders and their jutsu.

"What do we do now?" asked Naruto.

"I… I'm not sure yet."

Naruto couldn't blame her. Traversing the open plaza directly towards the gates wouldn't be smart. They'd just get caught in the crossfire. Heading through the enemy's side would likely be suicide but the side with Konoha's defenders wasn't exactly inviting either because of the unnatural lightning storms surrounding them and the random balls of flame that fell down from the skies. If they tried to go over, they might get mistaken for the enemy and meet an equally grisly death.

"I think we're stuck," said Ayame. Naruto gave a frown in response… 'being stuck' wasn't what he wanted to hear but he accepted the fact nonetheless. The two of them were helpless to do anything but watch.

So watch they did. The 'whispers' had begun to assault Naruto's senses again as he did. He tried his best to ignore them, but he found that impossible.

The soldiers from one side, the Soviets in Gauron's words, rallied behind a trio of treaded mechanical constructs that inched slowly towards the other side. Konoha, however, had responded by growing walls from the ground made of hardened dirt, sand, and wood, with their jutsu. Thick roots wrapped themselves around the constructs, not stopping them completely but at least slowing them down as the soldiers tried to hack the constructs free.

"What are those things?" asked Ayame in horror. It was obvious she was referring to the Soviet's armored constructs… to her, ninja jutsu seemed natural in comparison.

In any case, Naruto knew what the machinations were. The 'whispers' had already invaded Naruto's head and had already defined them as soon as he saw them.

"They… they're called tanks," said Naruto, the word rolling off his tongue like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "T-84 MBTs to be exact." _1200-hp (895 kW) 6TD-2 engines, Konkakt-5 reactive armor, Shtora active protection system, thermal imaging sight, muzzle refer_—Naruto struggled to keep himself sane with the information overload he received.

Naruto offered no explanation when Ayame looked back at him with surprise and awe.

"You've seen them before?"

"No… Somehow, I just… know."

Before Ayame could complain at how ridiculous that sounded, the loud machines of the sky had returned and Naruto answered Ayame's question before she could ask it.

"Get down—helicopters!" he alarmed. _Mil Mi-24 'Hind D' helicopters with 1700-hp IzotovTV3-177A turboshaft—_Naruto tried to think of other things to make the information stop but nothing helped. Everything new he saw would be defined so clearly in his mind that he'd probably be able to take apart and reassemble the machines if he were given the tools and opportunity.

Unfortunately, it also made him feel like he was going crazy so he shut his eyes as tightly as he could. If he couldn't see them, he couldn't learn about them.

He could feel Ayame holding onto him tightly as the high-pitched sound of bullets hitting the ground passed them by.

"Naruto, we have to keep moving again. If we stay here…"

A series of rumbling popping sounds drowned out the end of her sentence and Naruto instinctively opened his eyes to take a look. Now he couldn't look away.

All at once, gigantic animals had taken over the plaza; their croaks, roars, and caws seemed louder than the yelling and screaming from both sides of the battlefield.

And as armored as they were, the helicopters weren't equipped to handle the giant flaming balls of oil that shot them out of the skies.

Oversized ravens screeched and swooped below, avoiding gunfire and tearing apart stray soldiers. Giant toads wielding katana crashed down on the tanks, gutting them open like living can-openers while clouds of insects entered them to finish the job. And though gunfire from the Soviets did their damage, the damage wasn't nearly enough to bring down the summons. They were in full retreat now.

Naruto admonished himself again. Somewhere along the way Naruto had given up hope on Konoha… but he was wrong; and glad for it. It looks like Konoha's desperate gamble had paid off. _Konoha can win this!_

"We're… winning," said Naruto, unbelieving at first. But then his excitement caught up to him. "WE CAN WIN THIS!"

The only person in earshot of him, Ayame, could only gawk at the incredible battle before them.

In fact, both of them were so entranced by the battle that they didn't even notice the person sneaking up behind them.


	7. Sugar and Spice

**A/N: **I might re-edit the last chapter to make this one a little less vague. If you still don't get what happened, read the author's note at the end of this chapter.

* * *

**. : Sugar and Spice : .**

**

* * *

**

Flashback

_It was a typical weekend at the Ichiraku ramen bar. Teuchi himself toiled at the kitchen behind the counter as a ten-year old Ayame eyed his culinary techniques from the customer's side. Her father looked so at peace when he cooked. And it reminded her of why she wanted to follow in his footsteps. She was well on her way towards her goal of taking over the popular Ramen Bar. But something still bothered her… so she sighed._

"_Daddy, how come your ramen tastes different than mine?" she inquired, resting her head on the counter in a defeated manner. _

"_Oh? Does it?"_

"_Mhmm," admitted Ayame. "Somehow, yours always tastes better and I can't figure out why. I followed the recipes you taught me exactly but it's never the same as yours. Am I doing something wrong?"_

_Teuchi chuckled knowingly. "It's not that you're doing anything wrong, Ayame. It's just that you're missing a special ingredient."_

_She shook her head vigorously and complained: "No way, unless there's an ingredient you've kept secret."_

"_It's not a secret at all."_

_Ayame frowned. "Oh yeah? Then what is it?"_

"_It's love."_

"_L-love…?" Ayame blushed and her eyebrow began twitching in anger. "That's the lamest thing I've ever heard, Daddy. How can you say such embarrassing things in front of all these customers?"_

_Teuchi shrugged. "I say it because it's true."_

"_Liar!"_

"_Ayame…" This time Teuchi sighed, setting Ayame's completed lunch in front of her; a bowl of ramen. "Dealing with ramen is like dealing with people," said Teuchi._

_Ayame, ever the skeptic, lifted an eyebrow. _

"_Think of it this way. Just like how ramen is made up of different ingredients, people are all shaped by things in their lives. Friends, family, surroundings, present, past… all of these things are like ingredients that make a person who they are."_

"_What does that have to do with love and ramen?"_

"_Well, wouldn't you agree that showing a person love can make that person better? Or at least happier, right?"_

_Ayame nodded. _

"_So if we apply that to ramen…" Teuchi pulled out a small bowl full of Naruto… one of Ayame's favorite ingredients, and added them to Ayame's bowl of ramen._

"_Yay, I love Naruto!" _

"_So, do you get it now? How adding 'love' can make ramen better?" asked Teuchi. _

_Ayame nodded happily. _

"_Just remember, Ayame. It works both ways. If I add something you hate…" Teuchi pulled out a bunch of hot bell peppers causing Ayame to yank her bowl of ramen away. _

"_I get it, I get it!" said Ayame quickly and added a quick warning: "I won't forgive you if you ruin my lunch."_

"_Haha, well as long as you understand." _

-x-

Ayame awoke to an aching head.

It was just a dream, or rather, a treasured memory. Felt like a dream. But to have a dream she'd have to be asleep. Asleep or… unconscious…

_Ughh… what happened… _Consciousness took its sweet time coming back to Ayame. She had definitely been struck unconscious. But by who…?

She searched her last memory and it soon became clear. Someone had snuck up behind them while they were watching the battle at South Gate. It wasn't just anybody… it was an old man. One she had respected as one of the leaders of Konohagakure. Danzo.

As soon as she remembered that, the picture painted itself in her mind. While they were distracted, Danzo got a hold of Naruto and when Ayame tried to do something… he shot her.

Ayame immediately shot her eyes open, jolted her torso upright and looked down at the wound on her chest. No wound. No clothes either. Just bandages…

_Click._

Ayame looked up to see the barrel of a gun pointed at her face.

"Where did you get this?" asked a soft child-like voice.

Ayame, alarmed, looked from the gun to the wielder, not exactly prepared for what she was about to see. The person threatening her was just a little girl. She couldn't have been any older than Naruto. And yet her eyes… they were so… scary. Was she one of those… what was the world… Soviets? No, she wasn't the last bit similar to those soldiers.

Ayame's head spun. "I'm sorry… what!?"

Before Ayame could react, the girl struck her across the face with the barrel of the gun and Ayame fell to her side, her cheek and jaw throbbing in pain.

The little girl was relentless. "Don't answer my question with another question," she warned. "Where did you get this gun?" she asked again. "Where is he? Where's Gauron?"

Shock filled Ayame's expression when 'Gauron' was mentioned. _I killed him, _was the immediate answer in her mind. But this little girl… if she was violent now, what would she do if she knew the person she was looking for was dead?

"I don't know," lied Ayame.

The girl threw a kick into Ayame's side, knocking the wind out of her lungs. For a little girl, she was certainly strong. Ayame gasped for air.

"Liar!" the girl accused. "You were holding Gauron's gun. Where did you get it?"

_Not good. _Ayame could barely think straight. "He… he gave them to me," coughed Ayame. It was the truth. But it still earned her another kick in the side.

"Stop lying!" accused the girl, anger apparent in her voice.

"Careful, Yu Fan," said another girl's voice from behind. "She can't tell us where he is if she's dead."

Ayame looked up at the new girl… it was like she was seeing double. It was the same girl, alike in every way. _Twins?_

The second girl turned her attention to Ayame. "Hurry and tell us where he is," she demanded. "If you don't then Yu Fan might get angry and I'll have to fix you again."

So it was these girls who bandaged her after she was shot. In any case, Ayame racked her brain for a solution to the dilemma she was currently. Tell them the truth and they might just kill her. She could lie… but what should she say?

The Yu Fan girl looked about ready to throw another kick. And just as she cocked her leg back, Ayame remembered Naruto and blurted out the only thing that came to her mind.

"They took him!" she cried out, bracing herself for another kick. It didn't come.

"They took him?" asked Yu Fan.

"Who took him?" asked the other girl.

"D-Danzo," answered Ayame.

The two twins glanced at each other, as if for approval.

"Show us," demanded Yu Fan. "Take us to him."

_Great… _If she told them she had no idea where he was, she'd be kicked again… or maybe shot. _What to do…_

"Okay," said Ayame. "I'll take you."

Satisfied, the two twins dragged Ayame roughly to her feet, gun pointed at her back. "Lead the way," said one of them. "You know what happens if you don't."

Ayame gulped, holding back her tears of fear. She'll have to think of something… and fast.

* * *

**A/N: **Did that seem confusing? Sorry. Danzo was the one who snuck up on Ayame and Naruto. He captured Naruto and shot Ayame. The twins happened to find Ayame there and recognized the gun. Hope that cleared some things up.

Too convoluted maybe? It played out pretty well in my mind but... what do you guys think?


	8. Child Soldier

**A/N: **A mini-chapter. It sets things up for when 'shit hits the fan' in coming chapters so-to-speak.

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**. : A Child Soldier : .**

* * *

South Gate was a nightmare, that was for sure. Being assaulted by beasts? He wasn't trained to deal with things that were more suited to his imagination than actual combat situations. And neither were the rest of the Soviet soldiers who were dispatched to South Gate.

Still, they survived. Most of them anyways. And were given new orders while they waited for AS support. Sagara himself was given a special mission. Assassination. This would be his first time killing specific targets and he didn't really know what to think about it.

Best not to think about it at all.

The deafening silence in his mind worked together to drown out the loud whir of the blades of the troop transport helicopter he was currently flying in. He wouldn't be alone for this mission, of course. Beside him were Soviet soldiers. Across from him were Soviet soldiers. The pilot was probably a Soviet soldier. And he himself was a Soviet soldier. It was the story of his life so far.

_Focus and breathe. Remember the training and just accomplish the mission. _

"ETA: Four minutes," said the pilot over the helicopter intercom.

Sagara checked his weapon, a ten-round standard issue automatic SVD sniper rifle, for what seemed like the millionth time and made sure the extra magazines he carried were all loaded and ready.

"Nervous?" asked the soldier beside him. It was in harsh Russian but Sagara had no problem understanding it.

Sagara nodded.

"This'll be your first time killing somebody, huh?"

He shook his head.

"Really…" mused the soldier. "I never would've thought it. And you're so young too. How old are you? Seven? Eight?"

_Eight,_ thought Sagara but he remained mute.

The soldier threw a friendly slap onto Sagara's back. "Well, don't worry about it kid. We were briefed on how good you are. We'll make sure you get into that base alive. Just don't let us down. Finish the mission."

Sagara looked up, surprised at how nice this random soldier was. Even if there was a possibility they wouldn't make it out of the mission alive.

"For the Motherland!" cheered the soldier.

Sagara nodded in acknowledgement.

"ETA: Ninety Seconds," voiced the intercom.

Sagara went through his targets in his mind one more time. There were twelve in are. Apparently, they were all kids. Special kids codenamed as 'The Whispered'. His orders were simple. They were dangerous weapons of the enemy. So kill each one on sight. The pictures and names of his targets were thoroughly ingrained in his memory: Neji, Lee, Tenten, Kiba, Hinata, Shino, Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji, Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto.

They were all his age. Perhaps they could have been his friends if the situation were different. But that didn't matter. His orders were clear. And in Soviet Russia, orders were absolute.

He hugged his sniper rifle close.

_For the Motherland. _

_

* * *

_

**A/N: **Honestly, the details of Sagara's past is pretty obscure. We know he was rescued off a plane and then put into a Russian child soldier program of some sort before he joined the rebels. Just assume that this story starts around that time.


	9. The Operation Begins

**A/N: **I think I'm starting to have too much stuff happen at once in this story.

* * *

**. : The Operation Begins : .**

**

* * *

**

"L-let go of me!" shouted Naruto. Bound in rope, Naruto was being carried by two ANBU soldiers as Danzo lead the way through an underground complex Naruto had no idea existed.

"Quiet boy," Danzo replied sharply. "This will all be over soon enough."

Naruto tried to struggle more but it was no use. Naruto knew that struggling was pointless. Because even if he were to somehow get out of his ropes, he had no idea how he would handle the two elite ninja. But still… it beat doing nothing. So Naruto continued to waggle his body like a fish, much to the annoyance of the ANBU who was carrying him.

Danzo ignored it for the most part. He seemed preoccupied with other matters.

As Naruto and his captors made their way down the long underground corridor, a third ANBU suddenly smoked into existence in their path.

"Ah, I was waiting for you," greeted Danzo. "How's the situation above?"

"Not good, Danzo-sama. The Soviets are progressing much more quickly than we planned. The Konoha-nin have managed to slow down their advance but not as much as we had hoped."

"Those useless fools," responded Danzo. "Divert more of Konoha's forces to the entrance of this base."

"But Danzo-sama. They would never—"

"—tell them that the children of the village are hiding here. That should be enough motivation."

"…right away, Danzo-sama," said the ANBU before disappearing in a blur of chakra.

"Y-you're," started Naruto. "You're using Konoha?"

"Hahaha, aren't you sharp," said Danzo as the group stopped in front of a large set of doors. "But that's to be expected I suppose. You _are_ one of them."

The doors opened right as he said it and Naruto widened his eyes in surprise. They were all there… his classmates at the ninja academy. There were even a few he couldn't recognize. And they didn't even notice the doors opening… everyone was busy at work; toiling together to build what looked like the skeleton of a gargantuan steel beast… a fox.

"Everyone? Why? I don't understand," said Naruto.

"You don't need to," said Danzo. "All you need to do is help them finish _that._"

The whispers returned to Naruto with a vengeance, overloading his aching head once again with pure knowledge. They were building the KB-9 Kyuubi. "Wh-what… makes you think I'll help you?" struggled Naruto.

Danzo smiled. "Isn't that obvious? Without this machine, what chance does Konoha have to survive against Soviet technology."

Naruto rebelliously shook his head. "No, we can win. I saw it. They're no match for the summons."

"Hahaha," laughed the aging man. "If you think Konoha can win with their summons alone, you're much too naive." Danzo reached into the ninja cloak he was wearing and pulled out several pictures, throwing them on top of Naruto. "I'm sure you know what these are."

All it took was one look at on the photos and the knowledge flooded his brain. They were pictures of Arm Slaves. Giant man-made war-machines. Though roughly human in form, their power was beyond monstrous. And somehow, Naruto knew that the summons wouldn't stand a chance against the overwhelming firepower of an AS.

"Do you get it now?" asked Danzo. It was rhetoric, of course and now Naruto had nothing to say. Konoha's only hope was truly to finish the KB-9 before the Soviet Arm Slaves wipe out the remaining resistance of Konoha. "Now, get to work!"

In the blink of an eye, Naruto was cut free from the ropes binding him and shoved into the room with the others, doors slamming shut and locking behind him.

The other children turned to face him all at once.

"Naruto?" said some of the children, surprised.

"Got you too, huh?" added Shikamaru.

Everyone wore tired faces looked through empty eyes. It was clear they didn't want to do what they were doing now. But like moths to a flame, they were clinging to their final hope. The hope that this weapon would be their salvation. And Naruto felt the same.

"I… what do you want me to do?" said Naruto, defeated.

-x-

Several missiles fired from the helicopters one after another to signify the start of the operation. The explosions made their mark on the ground between them and the entrance to the underground base they were assaulting, creating deep craters that sort of marked a path to their goal and provided something for the Soviet soldiers to use as cover in these open lands.

The helicopter lowered itself swiftly and Sousuke jumped out as soon as it was low enough. But the unnatural rumble he felt as soon as his feet hit the ground told him that something was wrong. He quickly scanned around himself and found the source. The giant beasts were back, supported by the village soldiers and rushing towards the Soviet's position.

"They're coming!" shouted out one of soldiers behind him, followed by more shouts from other soldiers.

"How'd they get here before us?"

"Never mind that. Take your positions. Cover the infiltration team!"

The soldiers all sprinted forward towards the makeshift ditches created by the helicopter missiles. Remembering his training, Sousuke leapt into the nearest crater, ignoring the blistering heat that still emanated from its epicenter. The sporadic gunfire from his comrades started up almost immediately and Sousuke cautiously peeked his head out to analyze.

They enemy was coming all right.

Many sword-wielding giant toads took the lead. They soaked in most of the fire and provided cover for the green-clad village defenders who followed closely behind them.

Soviet Arm Slaves were still on the way so the soldiers would have to rely on themselves. Of course, they had learned their lesson from last time. Several small rockets roared out all at once, colliding against one of the bigger toads, knocking it back. Above, the helicopters kept the giant ravens at bay.

"Get ready!" ordered one of the men on his team. Sousuke tightened the grip on his gun. "GO!"

He pulled himself out of the crater and sprinted forward towards the next one, as fast as his short legs would allow him. Again he leapt into the crater and crawled forward towards the edge.

The battle shouts of the enemies were more audible now and Sousuke's heart began racing even harder. He looked out from his cover just in time to see a giant toad in the air flying down towards him and his team. His body reacted automatically, pulling itself up and rolling away from his now questionable cover.

"G-get out!" shouted Sousuke at the top of his lungs. But by the time the others realized what was happening, the sword wielding monstrosity was already on top of them, crushing some of the soldiers and slashing at the others. Seconds later, rockets made their mark on the toad and it crashed down in to the ground, no longer moving. Unfortunately, the rest of his team was decimated along with it.

Sousuke was on his own now.

_Don't panic… remember the training. Move quickly._

Rather than blindly rushing forward towards the next crater, Sousuke kept low and moved around the craters, hiding behind rocks whenever he could. His small size definitely gave him an advantage in this case.

_Breathe. Stay silent… unseen._

Sousuke judged that the enemy soldiers would be nearing soon so he took cover behind the largest rock he could find. His clothes were already dirty, covered in dirt and dust. It was a good thing. He'd be able to hide a little easier like this. Quickly, he tossed aside his gun and curled up his entire body, tucking in his head as he leaned against the rock. He could hear them… the sounds of footsteps getting closer and closer.

_Breathe, Sousuke. Stay calm. Don't move._

He resisted the urge to flinch when the ground around him began shaking and rocks began pelting at his backs. The footsteps were all around him now, it was all he could hear; that and the random shouting and words from the enemy soldiers as they ran.

They eventually passed, sounding more and more distant. But Sousuke took no chances, staying still for a few extra minutes just to be safe.

When he finally felt it was as safe as it would get, Sousuke uncurled himself, vaulted towards his gun, picked it up and ran towards the last crater closest to his objective. He made it unscathed, physically at least.

Behind him, the sound of battling raged on. Explosions, shouts, gunfire... they were getting more distant but still there nonetheless.

_Focus, Sousuke. You're not done yet. _

Again he peeked out from his cover, pulling out a pair of binoculars he had tucked away in his jacket. Carefully, he surveyed his objective.

He found the entrance, guarded by two masked soldiers. This was the first time he'd really seen one of these Konoha soldiers clearly. They sort of resembled… ninja?

Sousuke didn't believe in such archaic types of soldiers. But then again… he hadn't believed in giant toads and ravens before now either. Maybe they really were ninja.

Sousuke quietly pulled out his rifle, made sure it was loaded, and took aim through the scope. He aimed at their heads.

_Stay calm. Relax your body and steady your arms, keep both eyes open as you look through the scope. _

Conveniently, both soldiers were talking to each other, lined up and able to be killed with a single shot.

_Pull the trigger slowly… and remember: Don't think about the kill. They are the enemy and killing them is merely your job. It is for the greater good of an entire nation. Kill or be killed… _

He briefly wondered if the ninja would be able to dodge the bullet but quickly shoved that thought to the back of his mind. He'd find out soon enough anyways. Because he took his shot.


	10. Entry

**A/N:** Another painfully short chapter for now. Sorry to those who are actually following this story.

* * *

**. : Entry : .**

* * *

"First thing's first, Naruto. What do you know?"

The blond scratched his head. "About the KB-9?"

"About anything," said Sasuke. He paused in irritation for a bit then went into a little more detail. "The whispers, Naruto. I know you can hear them. What kind of things do you know from them."

Naruto thought about it for a bit before answering. "So far, everything."

"We don't have time for your stupid bragging, Naruto. Just tell us—"

"—whenever I look at something, it's like I learn everything about it instantly," interrupted Naruto.

"What!?" Sasuke looked surprised at this. "You learn about things by just looking at them?"

"Isn't it the same for all of you?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke shook his head. "The information we have was already in our heads. For me, I knew the engineering behind G-meters, Bearings grids, and variable grappler mode reticules…

"I… uh… have no idea what you're talking about."

"Black technology, Naruto!" Sasuke nearly shouted. "Think. Isn't there some piece of technology that you're familiar with but sure that nobody else knows about? A system, a program, a part… anything?"

"I… don't…" The image of the Chakra Driver schematics flashed in his mind. "Wait, the Chakra Driver!"

Sasuke finally managed to calm down a little. "Chakra Driver?"

Naruto ran towards the nearest desk with paper he could find, pulled a sheet and started roughly jotting down the illustrations and instructions as they were seen in his head. Sasuke looked over them momentarily.

"This is it, Naruto," confirmed Sasuke. "This is what we were missing for the KB-9 core."

Relief swept over Naruto. "Great, so what do I do now?"

"Finish the schematics for the Chakra Driver and hand them over to Shikamaru and Sakura. They'll help you build it." Sasuke paused again, for what seemed like the millionth time. "Don't forget, Naruto. We don't have much time left. The village won't last long without the KB-9."

Naruto smiled somberly. "I got it. Let's both do our best."

-x-

Sousuke checked the pulse of the ninja's body lying in front of the entrance. Dead. Good. Ninja were human. Sousuke breathed out a sigh of relief and cautiously made his way inside the facility.

The interior was quiet and dimly lit. The walls were made of steel, probably thick, and the corridors were long and cold. Footsteps alerted Sousuke to an incoming presence. Carefully, he gripped the gun tighter and hid behind a nearby wall crevice.

"We just need to hold them off a bit longer," said one of the incoming voices. "Just a few more hours and we can get out of this hellhole with all the data we need. Is the missile ready?"

"Yes," responded the guard walking next to him. "It is set to launch as soon as the KB-9 is unleashed."

"Perfect."

Sousuke managed to peek his head out just enough to get a good profile of the two men. One was dressed just like the guard he had killed outside: a masked ninja. The other was older, wearing white robes that no doubt denoted some kind of authority. He had graying hair spiking up from his head and one of his eyes was covered with bandages. Sousuke couldn't recognize either of them. More than likely, they were the enemy and so he was prepared to shoot them both. Sousuke held his breath as the two men walked past the crevice he was hiding in. Then slowly, silently, he leaned out and took aim.

The scope on the sniper rifle magnified the guard's head enough to almost make out individual hairs. Steadying his arm, Sousuke slowly and deliberately pressed on the trigger as he had done hundreds of times before. Then, a muffled pop startled Sousuke as the bullet shot out.

The gun was silenced but the silencer didn't really help in this case. In the empty hallways, a soft cough was still just as audible as a loud bang. In fact, Sousuke would have preferred the louder noise in this situation. Still, the gun did it's job, drilling a bullet cleanly through the head of the guard ninja, spraying blood and bits of brain and skull on the other side.

The older man didn't seem to think much of it until his guard fell to the floor, creating a small puddle of red, and even then he looked too confused to do anything.

Sousuke wasted no time and aimed carefully at the remaining target, slowly pulling on the trigger once again.

_Click._

Nothing happened. The man turned his head in Sousuke's direction but he was still within the crosshairs. Sousuke tried again.

_Click. Click. Click._

Still nothing. The gun was jammed. And now, Sousuke knew he was spotted. The man ran fast in the other direction while Sousuke gave chase, trying to un-jam the gun at the same time. After several meters of running, Sousuke just gave up on the gun, slung it across his shoulder and pulled out his smaller handgun.

The man turned a corner, tossing projectiles behind him at the same time. Sousuke recognized the crude weapons as Shuriken and had little trouble dodging the awkward attacks. Unfortunately, he miscalculated the trajectory of one of them, regretting it immediately when it embedded itself into his shin, causing him to trip.

A few shots were fired as he went down but Sousuke knew they missed. Unable to help himself, he tumbled on the floor just as the target escaped behind a steel door that shut as the old man passed.


End file.
